Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.

 

 April 25, 2005

 

 

The Honorable Michael F. Easley

The Honorable James B. Black

The Honorable Marc Basnight

 

Dear Sirs:

 

 We write to urge your support for a two-year suspension of executions in our

State during which time the General Assembly will be able to study our system of capital

punishment.  

 

The undersigned are a diverse and bipartisan group of North Carolina citizens. 

Some of us believe the death penalty is used too sparingly, while others believe it should

not be used at all.  We all believe, though, that legitimate concerns about the fairness and

accuracy of our system of capital punishment exist and must be addressed.  We are even

more convinced of this fact in light of the several recent cases in which sentences of

death have been overturned by our state courts.

 

We are confident that after careful review, our legislature can identify and enact

reforms that will ensure the fairness of the system and, most critically, guarantee no

innocent person is wrongfully convicted or executed.

 

We are proud to be citizens of this great state and support its historical and

demonstrated commitment to justice.  We believe this is an issue of such importance that

it rises above politics and calls upon us all to stand tall for justice and North Carolina. 

Your support of House Bill 529 will do just this.

 

Thank you sincerely for your time and consideration of this most significant issue.

Very truly yours,

 

Stella Adams, President, African American Caucus of the North Carolina Democratic Party

Honorable Steve Allen, former N.C. Superior Court Judge, Board Member, N.C. Commission on Indigent Defense Services

Melvin “Skip” Alston, President, N.C. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Honorable Jerry S. Alvis Sr., former N.C. Superior Court Judge, National Board Director, American Board of Trial Advocates

Franklin P. Anderson, Trustee, N.C. Central University and former Chief Executive Officer, Custom Molders

L.M. Baker, Jr., former Chairman of the Board, Wachovia Corporation, former Chair, N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry (NCCBI)

Garland B. Baker, former N.C. Assistant District Attorney

 

Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.

Katharine T. Bartlett, Dean and A. Kenneth Pye Professor of Law, Duke University

Andrea Bazán-Manson, Executive Director, El Pueblo

Charles L. Becton, former Associate Judge, N.C. Court of Appeals, former President, N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers

Harold J. Bender, former Assistant United States Attorney, N.C. Western District 

Honorable Walter H. Bennett, Jr., former N.C. District Court Judge, former Professor of Law, UNC-Chapel Hill 

Doris Betts, Author, former Professor of English, UNC-Chapel Hill, and winner of 1994 Southern Book Critics Circle Award

Paul L. Bidwell, former N.C. Assistant District Attorney

Bishop Leonard Bolick, N.C. Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Salisbury, N.C.

Honorable Rhoda B. Billings, former Chief Justice, N.C. Supreme Court, Professor of Law at Wake Forest University, Board Member, N.C. Commission on Indigent Defense Services Commission

Janet Ward Black, President, N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers, former Miss North Carolina

William L. Bondurant, former Executive Director, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, former N.C. Secretary of Administration

Honorable Robert R. Browning, former Associate Justice, N.C. Supreme Court

Leah M. Broker, President, Board of Western Carolinians For Criminal Justice, past President, N.C. Association of Women Attorneys

Kenneth S. Broun, Professor of Law and former Dean, UNC-Chapel Hill, and former Mayor, Town of Chapel Hill 

Robert J. Brown, Chairman, B&C Associates, Member, Board of Directors, Wachovia Corporation, former Special Assistant to President Richard M. Nixon 

Sally Buckner, Poet and Editor of Word and Witness: 100 Years of North Carolina Poetry

Kathryn Byer, North Carolina’s Poet Laureate, poetry professor and author of four collections of poetry, including “Catching Light”

Wade E. Byrd, former President, N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers

Stephen W. Camp, Southern Conference, United Church of Christ

Jennifer Thompson Cannino, N.C. Victim of Violent Crime 

Alfred P. Carlton, Jr., Immediate Past President, American Bar Association

Honorable J. Phil Carlton, former Associate Justice, N.C. Supreme Court and former Secretary, N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety

Walter E. Dellinger, III, Professor of Law, Duke University and former Acting Solicitor General of the United States

Rabbi Lucy H. F. Dinner, Raleigh Temple Beth Or

Alfred Dixon, Mayor, Greenevers, N.C., President, N.C. Association of Black Mayors, President, Multi-State Contracting Corporation

Ariel Dorfman, Walter Hines Page Research Professor of Literature and Latin American Studies, Duke University

Carol Dreiling, Daughter of Murder Victims, Western North Carolina representative of Parents of Murdered Children

Martin Eakes, Executive Director, Self-Help Credit Union

Clyde Edgerton, Author and 1997 Winner of N.C. Award for Literature

Bishop Marion M. Edwards, North Carolina Conference, United Methodist Church

Honorable James G. Exum, Jr., former Chief Justice, Supreme Court of North Carolina 

James E. Ferguson, II, former President, N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers

Tom W. Fewel, Father of Murder Victim

Phil Ford, Associate Vice-President, UNC Educational Foundation, Inc. (Rams Club), Former Assistant Coach, UNC-Chapel Hill Men’s Basketball Team

 

John Hope Franklin, James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of History

William C. Friday, President Emeritus, University of North Carolina System

Honorable Henry E. Frye, former Chief Justice, N.C. Supreme Court and former N.C. State Senator and Representative, former Assistant U.S. Attorney, N.C. Middle District

Honorable James C. Fuller, Jr., former Associate Judge, N.C. Court of Appeals, former President of N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers

Robert Galbraith, General Director, Opera Company of N.C.

Harvey Gantt, Architect, former Mayor of Charlotte, former U.S. Senate candidate 

Johnny S. Gaskins, former State Bureau of Investigation Agent

Vickie Gerig, President, League of Women Voters of Wake County

 Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.

J. Gary Gloster, Bishop Suffragan, Diocese of North Carolina

James F. Goodmon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Capitol Broadcasting Company

Bishop F. Joseph Gossman, Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh

Joe Graedon, Globally Syndicated Newspaper Columnist and Host, of Nationally Syndicated Radio Program, “The People’s Pharmacy” 

Terry Graedon, Globally Syndicated Newspaper Columnist and Host, of Nationally Syndicated Radio Program, “The People’s Pharmacy” 

Allan Gurganus, Author and former American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow

Bill Guthridge, Coach Emeritus, UNC-Chapel Hill Men’s Basketball Team 

Billy Ray Hall, President, North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center

Larry Hall, President, North Carolina Black Leadership Caucus

Honorable Lawrence T. Hammond, Jr., N.C. Emergency District Court Judge, former N.C. Chief District Court Judge

R. Darrell Hancock, former N.C. Associate Attorney General and Z. Smith Reynolds

Board Member

Paul Hardin, Professor of Law and former Chancellor, UNC-Chapel Hill

Andrea Harris, President, Institute for Minority Economic Development

Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics, Duke University Divinity School 

Arvid S. Herje, former Police Chief, Town of Carrboro

John Herrera, Alderman, Town of Carrboro and Board President, Latino Community Credit Union

Keith A. Holliday, Mayor of Greensboro, N.C., Vice President, First Citizens Bank

Bertha Holt, former N.C. State Representative 

Larnie Horton, Chief Executive Officer, Horton and Horton Enterprises and former Trustee, UNC Board of Governors

Marjorie Hudson, Writer and Member, 2003 N.C. Humanities Council Forum

George E. Hunt, former elected District Attorney for Alamance County

Stephanie Hunter, Niece of Murder Victim

Marshall Hurley, former Republican Party legal counsel for N.C. Senate, former Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Howard Coble

Carolyn Hutchison, Police Chief, Town of Carrboro

Robert Inman, Novelist, Screenwriter and Playwright, Member of N.C. Writers Network

Rt. Rev. Robert H. Johnson, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina

Frankie T. Jones, Sr., President, B&C Associates, Board of Directors, N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry (NCCBI)

Robert Jordan, President, Jordan Lumber; former Lieutenant Governor; former Chair, N.C. Economic Development Board

Elizabeth Kiss, Director, Kenan Institute for Ethics, Associate Professor of Political Science and Philosophy

Mary Klenz, President, League of Woman Voters of North Carolina

Richard Krawiec, Novelist and former Fellow, N.C. Arts Council

Thomas W. Lambeth, former Executive Director, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation

Rev. Mac Legerton, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Center for Community Action

 

Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.

Michael Malone, Author and winner of 1980 O. Henry Award, 1984 Emmy Award, and 1007 Edgar Award 

Margaret Maron, Author and Founding Member, Carolina Crime Writers Association, 1988-98

Elaine Marshall, N.C. Secretary of State and former N.C. State Senator

Honorable Harry Martin, former Associate Justice, Supreme Court of North Carolina

William F.W. Massengale, former N.C. Assistant District Attorney

James B. Maxwell, former President N.C. Bar Association

Tom Maxwell, Platinum Selling Musician, formerly with the Squirrel Nut Zippers

James H. Maynard, Chairman of the Board, Investors Management Corporation andChairman, Golden Corral, member of Board of Directors, Branch Banking and Trust Company (BB&T) 

 

Friar David McBriar, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

Garry McCants, President, N.C. Black Chamber of Commerce and President, Black Pages USA

A. Patterson McCoy, Brother of Murder Victim

Kathryn C. McCoy, Mother of Murder Victim

Howard C. McGlohon, former N.C. Assistant District Attorney

Rev. Jack McKinney, Pastor, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C. 

Brad Miller, U.S. Representative, N.C. 13th District, and former N.C. State Senator and N.C. State Representative

Michael C. Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer, First National Bank and Trust Company of N.C.

Janice L. Mills, Dean and Professor, North Carolina Central University School of Law

William S. Mills, former President, N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers

James Moeser, Chancellor, UNC-Chapel Hill

Richard “Skip” Moore, President, Weaver Foundation

Mary Mountcastle, President, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation

Lewis H. Myers, President, LHM Associates and Chair, Economic Development Committee, N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry (NCCBI)

Stephen Lybrook Neal, former U.S. Representative, N.C. 5th District

Roy D. Neill, former N.C. Assistant District Attorney

Yvonne Nelson-Moore, Granddaughter of Murder Victim

Gene R. Nichol, Dean and Burton Craige Professor of Law, UNC-Chapel Hill 

T. LaFontaine Odom, Sr., former N.C. State Senator

Mary Norris Preyer Oglesby, Durham, N.C.

John D. Parker, Executive Director, Good Work Inc.

Honorable Francis I. Parker, former Associate Justice, N.C. Supreme Court

Ivan Parra, Director, Latino Community Development Center

Harper Peterson, Mayor of Wilmington, N.C.

Gary Phillips, Board Member, El Pueblo of North Carolina, Former Chair, Chatham County Board of Commissioners

 

Rev. Nancy Petty, Pastor, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C.

Rev. James L. Pike, Senior Pastor, Olin T. Binkley Baptist Church, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Marshall B. Pitts, Jr., Mayor, Fayetteville, N.C.

 

Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.

James K. Polk, former Special Assistant for Minority Affairs, Public Member, N.C. Real Estate Commission, former Member, Board of Directors of the American Red Cross

Abdul Rasheed, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, N.C. Community Development Initiative

J. George Reed, Executive Director, N.C. Council of Churches

Richard G. Roose, former N.C. Assistant District Attorney, Board Member, N.C. Commission on Indigent Defense Services

Dave Richard, Executive Director, N.C. Association for Retarded Citizens

John M. Richardson, Regional Minister, N.C. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Samuel E. Roberson, General Presbyter/Stated Clerk, Presbytery of Charlotte, N.C.

John Rosenthal, Photographer and Radio Commentator

Honorable Thomas W. Ross, Executive Director, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, former N.C. Superior Court Judge and former Director, N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts

Thomas R. Sallenger, former N.C. Assistant District Attorney, Chairman, Wilson County Board of Education, 1992-96

Charles A. Sanders, former Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Glaxo Inc. 

David Sedaris, Author and Radio Commentator, 2001 Winner of Thurber Prize for American Humor

 

Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, Chair Emeritus, Duke University Endowment, former Trustee, Duke University

James H. Semans, Physician, Honorary Member, N.C. School of the Arts Board of Trustees.  Died on April 21, 2005.

Herb Sendek, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, N.C. State University

Rev. Robert E. Seymour, Pastor Emeritus, Olin T. Binkley Baptist Church, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Dean E. Smith, Coach Emeritus, UNC-Chapel Hill Men’s Basketball Team 

Lanty L. Smith, Chair, Soles, Brower, Smith & Co., Chair, Precision Fabrics Group, former President, Burlington Industries

Lee Smith, Novelist and two-time Winner of the O. Henry Award

Roger W. Smith, Sr., former President, Wake County Bar Association, former Member, N.C. State Bar Council and N.C. State Bar Ethics Committee, President, N.C. Supreme Court Historical Society

Wade M. Smith, former N.C. State Representative, former President, Wake County Bar Association, Winner of 2000 Distinguished Alumni Award, UNC-Chapel Hill

Elizabeth Spencer, Novelist and Winner of N.C. Award for Literature, 2002 N.C. Literary Hall of Fame Inductee

Adam Stein, former President, N.C. Academy of Trial Attorneys, former Chair, N.C. Commission on Indigent Defense Services, Member, Board of Governors, Association of Trial Lawyers of America 

Keith A. Sutton, President/CEO, Triangle Urban League

William W. Taylor, III, former Professor of Law, UNC-Chapel Hill, former Chair,

Criminal Justice Section, American Bar Association

David B. Thornton, former N.C. Assistant District Attorney

Elizabeth K. Thurbee, Executive Director, Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte

Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.

Howard F. Twiggs, former N.C. State Representative, former President, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, former president N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers

Tim Valentine, former U.S. Representative, N.C. 2nd District, former N.C. State Representative

Trip Van Noppen, Director, Carolinas Office, Southern Environmental Law Center

Honorable James R. Vosburgh, former N.C. Superior Court Judge

Jerry Waller, Retired N.C. probation officer

Melvin L. Watt, U.S. Representative, N.C. 12th District, former N.C. State Senator, former President, Mecklenburg County Bar 

Katherine Stern Weaver, President, Residence Development Company

Honorable John Webb, former Associate Justice, N.C. Supreme Court

Judith Wegner, Professor of Law and former Dean, UNC-Chapel Hill

Reverend Mauricio W. West, Administrator, Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Honorable Willis P. Whichard, former Associate Justice, N.C. Supreme Court, former Associate Judge, N.C. Court of Appeals, former N.C. State Senator and Representative, Dean and Professor of Law, Campbell University

Octavis White, former Assistant District Attorney for Alamance County

Jim Wiggins, Executive Director, N.C. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Rev. Mel Williams, Watts Street Baptist Church, Durham, N.C.

Rev. William H. Willimon, Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry, Duke University

David R. Work, Executive Director, N.C. Board of Pharmacy 

Fred Yates, Mayor, Winfall, N.C. and Political Action Chair, N.C. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Honorable H.W. Zimmerman, Jr., former N.C. Superior Court Judge and former N.C. District Attorney